


tipping point

by orphan_account



Series: infatuation anthology [3]
Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: F/F, Kissing, M/M, Past Nico di Angelo/Will Solace, Spin the Bottle, Underage Drinking, and there's a hint of pipabeth, they're dumb teenagers trying to have a good time
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-02
Updated: 2018-06-02
Packaged: 2019-05-17 02:25:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14823440
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Jason didn't know there was a way to cheat at spin the bottle, but someone proves him wrong.





	tipping point

Nico is cold and calculating with every move he makes. He’s a deep thinker, a philosophizer, and he thinks things through before taking the smallest step. Nico is all of these things and more, Jason hears from campers, from his friends, and sometimes Nico himself.

Jason finds out most of that is wrong.

Not that Nico doesn’t calculate, but it’s not cold, it’s completely driven by warmth and love for the benefit of others. He’s smart but he doesn’t always think things through, because his rationality trails miles behind all the emotion within his lithe body. Nico is messy and slips up and very impulsive.

As months pass and they become closer, he learns these little things about Nico. It’s not difficult. But the more Jason learns, the more surprised he is that he’s the first to know these things about Nico. No one else has bothered to, a fact that ages poorly, because Nico is absolutely _delightful_. Full of snark and passion unrivalled, a wealth of knowledge, and a compassion that knows no bounds, not burdened by Tartarus below or Zeus far above.

Since they’re so much closer, now, Nico lets himself slip up in front of Jason. Well, Nico calls them slip ups, struggling to recognize them as valid needs and wants within himself as Jason insists. He’s made progress in accepting these, big and small.

“I want to hang out,” Nico says one day, head on his lap. They rest in the grass, sun high overhead.

Jason looks up from his book. “Aren’t we hanging out?”

“I mean all of us. Like--let’s all get together and hang out.” Nico motions vaguely to the air and Jason laughs.

“Who’s we?” he prompts.

“Like… all of us.”

“Who’s us?”

“Shut up, Jason. You’re not invited anymore.” All the same he’s laughing, head pressing back against Jason’s thigh and making his chest flood with heat. “I don’t know. I’ve consumed a lot of _popular culture_ lately--” Jason snorts, remembering the extensive, “educative” list that Leo gifted him, “--and I haven’t had a… proper teen hangout.” Nico’s voice grows quiet, more embarrassed, and Jason doesn’t laugh anymore.

Nico’s never had the chance to mess around with his friends. To mess around at all, really. “So, you’re saying that you want to get drunk and cause trouble like real teenagers do?” he guesses. It’s not like he has, either. “Real mortal teenagers, anyway.”

He sinks into Jason, relief pouring out with a sigh. “Yeah. Plus, I want to spend more time with you.”

“With a crowd full of people?” Jason raises an eyebrow. His tone is too bitter and curious for either of their likings, but they let it slide.

“Yes. Because you’ve had a stick up your ass the size of the Athena Parthenos for _months_ and I thought I was done toting that around.”

Jason hums, low and amused, rests a hand on top of Nico’s hair. “Sounds fun. So, who’s coming?”

That’s how Jason finds himself climbing up Halfblood Hill to his sister’s pine, bottles clinking in starlight, Nico’s excited breaths settling goosebumps across his skin. “You know, when you said you wanted to hang out more, this isn’t what I had in mind.”

Nico slows his pace only a fraction, still worried about getting caught after hours, whether by stray campers or a responsible hardass. “How do you mean?”

He gestures to the small gathering on the hill, figures lit by a cozy fire. Piper is there, some great smile on her face while she listens to Annabeth with rapt attention. “Drinking with our exes.” The son of Hades laughs, something mercurial and evocative that does funny things to Jason’s head.

“Don’t chicken out on me now, Grace. I went through a lot of trouble to spend not-sober time with you.” His eyes drift to Will, making some friendly conversation with Leo. Jason remembers earlier in the day, one of the most awkward instances he’s ever had, standing next to Nico in the infirmary with Will.

“You promised me,” Nico insists, arms folded. He pulls the curtain around an empty bed to close them off.

Will grips the curtain too, counters, “That was when we were still dating.”

“You were the one who wanted to stay friends.”

“Oh, yeah. Why did I say that again?” A friendly punch from Nico to his arm, and a glare from Jason that promises much worse. Will laughs, high and strained, not meeting Jason’s face. “Fine, fine. I guess I need to use up what I have in backstock anyway.”

Will takes being a medic very seriously. He’s the camp’s closest thing to a doctor. He knows how to take care of people. He takes inventory of all the supplies. As it turns out, there’s a special process for fermenting nectar that turns it into a special kind of wine. And after making sure there’s enough to go around for all necessary medicinal purposes, Will takes the overstock and turns it into something enjoyable. “You have to learn to be rigid before you can learn to bend the rules,” he advises when procuring sweet dusty bottles from their haven to settle in eager arms.

Jason knows the contraband market in Camp Halfblood exists, but it goes much deeper than he could ever imagine (even considering all the weird shit he’s seen lying around Leo’s bunker).

“I appreciate your generosity,” Nico drawls.

Will pinches his cheek. “I appreciate you saving my ass from Chiron.”

Nico and Will’s relationship was… strenuous, to say the least, while they were dating. Their rushed relationship had unintended effects on both parties, though Jason was quick to side with Nico. Will was nice, and he cared, which was something Nico needed. But he fell into holding too much value in what Will said, what Will did, even at the cost of his own happiness. Jason knows it’s because Nico genuinely believed no one else besides Will could love him. So he had to make sacrifices to keep them both happy.

Will isn’t a bad guy but he didn’t help Nico’s already fragile situation and it just makes Jason angry to stew on it especially when there are _plenty of other boys_ that feel that way about Nico besides Will Solace, and that he doesn’t need to use them as a benchmark for what he’s worth.

Boys like Jason.

But Jason liking Nico doesn’t matter (well it does, it does _very_ much, but it’s not about Jason). Nico just needs a reminder of his own wonderful qualities so he won’t settle with his unhappiness, thinking that it’s all he has. All Jason wants is for him to be happy. If Jason can make him happy, great. If not… well, he just has to make sure Nico knows he’ll always be there for him. And that Nico has himself to rely and depend upon, too. That he can make his own light.

“No Romans allowed, Grace! Didn’t you get the memo? Greeks only!” Percy boos as he comes up the hill into the light.

Jason scoffs, taking a seat beside him. “Aren’t you still technically a praetor?”

Percy pauses. “Well, I never officially stepped down, I just thought… everyone assumed… Oh. I guess so.” He laughs, warm and loud. “I don’t think it’d hold up in the senate, but you got me. You’re on thin ice, though. Keep an eye on him, Nico.”

“If we’re going Roman, then that’s _ambassador_ to you,” Nico snarks. He settles next to Jason and Piper in the grass. Their thighs are touching, just so, just enough for Jason’s breath to hitch. He nods to their other friends. They pass bottles around the circle. “I didn’t think it appropriate to invite my younger sister to get wasted. I don’t think Frank would be too fond, either.”

Piper groans, head lolling sadly. “You could have at least invited Reyna.”

Jason takes a whiff of the fermented nectar and hums. It’s strong and sweet. “You know, Piper, it’s just because they’re afraid of us out drinking them.” A chorus of _oooohs_ ring out from the circle and he nudges Nico’s side playfully.

“Really, Jason? What are you, _five_?” Leo snorts. But the next second he’s taking a particularly large swig from his bottle. And then coughing out puffs of smoke. “Shit--what’s _in_ this, Solace?”

“It’s literally just fermented nectar,” Will shrugs. He takes a closer look at Leo’s bottle, inspecting some scrawl on the bottom. “Oh, you got one of the good ones. I think that’s the oldest in the batch.”

“We’ll see who’s most sober at the end of tonight,” Percy tips his bottle towards Jason. “With Annabeth at my side, I’ll be clear as crystal.”

“I won’t stop you from having a good time,” Annabeth says, though there’s a lilt in her voice that implies _or from making a fool out of yourself_. “I’ll just make sure you’ve got aspirin for your headache tomorrow.”

“Isn’t that Will’s job?”

Will takes a drink. “I do not intend to wake up without a hangover tomorrow. I’ve been way too stressed for that, lately.” His eyes flicker to Nico and he smiles. A sudden cold wind chills the air and Jason breathes, reminding himself to stay under control, to not let that tiny seed of jealousy in his heart ruin tonight for everyone. “Thanks, Nico, for getting us all together. It was a good idea.”

“Thought it might be nice to have a midsummer hurrah,” he shrugs. He meets Percy and Annabeth’s gaze with a hesitant grin that they return full force. The three of them are much closer, now, which Jason is grateful for. He’s glad that Nico has a support network. Percy and Annabeth have really tried to make amends and Nico has really tried to open up. It’s still a little awkward at times, but they’re miles away from the tension and fury that once laced every glance between them.

“Less talking, more irresponsible choices,” Piper says. She raises her bottle to the middle of the circle and, sans Annabeth and Jason, they clink together and drink together.

They spend a long time chatting amicably, everyone getting progressively more intoxicated, with blonde exceptions. Jason’s lost a lot of motivation to have fun getting drunk after his mother’s habits. He feels safe enough to with their friends, but he’d rather not at the moment. It’s more fun to watch everyone else stumble over their words and basic motor skills and meet Annabeth when he turns to look over Percy, a fond exasperation in her eyes.

Nico gets louder and more excited the drunker he gets, gesticulating and laughing, head thrown back and hair flowing in the night wind. He’s happy and loose. Jason feels lucky that he’s gotten to witness this side of Nico before, and that it didn’t take alcohol for him to always reach it.

That, and drunk Nico is very affectionate.

He leans back and forth, swaying even as he sits, falling against Jason’s shoulder or, if he particularly misjudges distance, his lap. He’s grinning, grabbing Jason’s hand and arm and chatting with him excitedly. Sometimes Jason sees the son of Apollo squinting at them across the circle, which he admits to himself is icing on the cake.

It’s Leo who puts the bottle in the middle of the circle when he’s done drinking. “Wilderness school who?” he laughs, high fiving Piper.

Jason frowns. “Did we--?”

“I don’t think so,” Piper says. “Must have been before you showed up.” She’s not quite as far gone as Leo, but her eyes are a bit dreary.

“You sober kids have to play, too! Since you’re already suffering our company.” Will jabs a bottle in Annabeth’s face, which she quickly swats away.

“Jason?” she prompts.

He shrugs. As an action, a kiss can be platonic. “I don’t see the harm in it.” As long as he doesn’t land on Nico, things should be fine.

“No powers,” Nico interjects quickly. “You’re stuck with whoever you land on.”

“Unless you land on a girl,” Piper snorts. A remark that would’ve made Nico sheepish and silent in sobriety makes him laugh loudly now.

Leo, the instigator, spins first and lands on Will. They share a quick peck. Leo tries to deliver a pickup line that fails because he almost throws up instead. While he regains his breath, Piper spins and shares a sweet kiss with Annabeth.

The subtle intertwining of their hands when they kiss makes Jason smile. Percy sighs sadly and pats Annabeth’s knee. “We had a good run. You win, Pipes. I can’t compete with you.” The girls laugh. 

“My turn.” Nico reaches for the bottle with trembling hand and spins it. Jason bites his lip. He isn’t sure whether or not he wants it to land on him. He’s half praying it’ll land on one of the girls so his jealousy has no chance of acting up.

The shadow cast from the bottle reaches the tip of Jason’s sneaker, the mouth of the bottle between them. He gulps. “That’s a respin, right?”

Nico shrugs. “Close enough.” Then he’s grabbing Jason’s shoulder and leaning in and his breath stinks but his lips are closer than Jason ever thought they’d be. “This okay?” Nico asks under his breath, words fluttering against Jason’s mouth.

Jason’s so glad he’s sober for this. He really wishes Nico was, too.

“Yeah,” he squeaks when Nico steadies himself with a hand on Jason’s thigh, giggling when he almost falls over. _Giggling_. Nico kisses him, quick and chaste, and then it’s over like nothing ever happened. Jason has to spin the bottle, it’s his turn, he can’t take a long time. That’d be suspicious. But he just wants to sit there and revel in the feeling of Nico’s warm lips settled against his.

He doesn’t have to wait long.

When he spins the bottle, it lands on Nico. “Lucky strike!” Percy nudges Jason’s shoulder and laughs. He’s acutely aware of all eyes on him again, especially Will’s.

Now it’s Nico’s turn to fidget with the strings of his hoodie, eyes darting to and from the campfire. “What, was I that bad the first time?” Jason jokes, cupping Nico’s cheek in hand. Nico opens his mouth to refute that notion and that’s when Jason closes in. This one is less chaste but just as sweet. Warmth pools into Jason’s gut and he forces himself to pull away quickly, leaving Nico red-faced and dizzy. And it’s _Jason_ that did that, not the alcohol.

There’s a long second of silence after they part. Percy takes the attention back on himself, luckily, and reaches for the bottle, practically singing, “My turn!” It lands on Piper, much to their mutual distaste. “It’s like kissing my sister,” he groans.

“Enjoy it, Perce. This is as close to kissing Annabeth you’ll ever get again,” Piper teases before leaning over to kiss him. This makes Percy snort and sends the daughter of Aphrodite reeling back to her spot beside Leo, laughing and groaning.

Then it’s Annabeth’s turn to share a peck with Leo. Jason holds his breath when Will spins the bottle and lets it out when it lands on Piper. It’s weird, seeing his ex kiss Nico’s ex. Nico just leans into his side and laughs quietly, having somehow wormed his way under Jason’s arm.

Leo kisses Jason and Piper kisses Percy, again. Nico doesn’t move from Jason’s embrace, instead putting Jason’s arm around his waist and leaning forward from there to spin the bottle. It lands on Jason again and he smiles when he Nico leans up eagerly to kiss him. Jason can’t even bring himself to frown when he spins the bottle and it lands on Nico again. “Isn’t it weird that you’ve both landed on each other twice in a row?” Will points out.

“Can’t control the Fates, Solace,” Piper consoles him when Jason closes the distance again for another kiss with Nico. They’re getting gradually hotter, deeper. It’s more comfortable as the rounds go on. Jason tries not to get used to it. _This is platonic_ , he reminds himself uselessly.

Percy spins and it lands on Nico. Jason’s disappointed when Nico removes himself from his hold so he can lean over his lap and kiss the son of Poseidon. It’s quick and rough, Percy gripping Nico’s hair and Nico fisting a hand in his shirt.

“Is it everything you dreamed?” Percy asks with glittering eyes. Then he burps in Nico’s face.

“That’s about what I expected,” Nico says, flopping back down into Jason’s lap. “Tastes like disappointment.” Everyone laughs and Jason can join them.

Will gives the bottle a spin and it lands on Jason. Their kiss involves more teeth than Jason thinks strictly necessary, but he lets it slide. Nico stares up at Jason from his lap, eyes unreadable.

“You wanted a regular teen hangout,” he points out when Nico sticks out his (very kissable) bottom lip in a pout. “You’ve got it. And all the nonsense that comes with it.”

Bottles pile up in the cinders of the fire. Jason and Nico don’t land on anyone but each other, even when others land on them. Jason thinks he’s pretty screwed come morning. At one point, Nico and Will leave for snacks. They amble down the hill, very drunk, Nico leaning on him for support. The game halts until their return and Jason waits anxiously.

“You’re playing a dangerous game, Jay,” Piper says while Percy and Leo chat loudly, Annabeth interjecting factual statements for her own amusement. He doesn’t know how much she’s had to drink, but her tolerance must be high even for a demigod, to seem more coherent than Jason feels after so many kisses with Nico.

“I’m not playing any games, Piper.” He rests his chin on his hand. “I’ve already screwed myself over. It can’t get any worse.”

Piper chuckles, leaning in. “You know, it’s not just you.”

Jason raises an eyebrow.

“What, do you really think it’s _fate_ pushing the bottle toward you every time he spins it? And not the shadow it casts?”

Jason’s mouth is dry when Nico returns, staggering up with Will a few feet behind. “We couldn’t find snacks,” he says, settling back next to Jason on the ground. He lays his head in his lap and closes his eyes, stopping for the first time all night.

Jason stares at his peaceful pale face, looking warm from the flush of alcohol and the glow of the fire. His hair is tousled and dark, strewn across Jason’s lap. Nico’s weigh is familiar and sends shocks up and down Jason’s spine. He traces a hand through the boy’s hair. Jason feels almost normal. He’s just having a bonfire with his friends and his crush and for once, no one’s trying to kill him (besides Will glaring a hole through his head).

Nico’s eyes open quite suddenly, snapping Jason from his reverie. “You should take me back to my cabin,” he says, looking vaguely sick.

“You okay?” Jason asks softly.

“Yeah.” Nico nods. “I just… I should probably get back. While I’m thinking clearly.”

Jason helps Nico to his feet and they start down the hill. He waves a quick goodbye to his friends and they’re off. Nico walks fast, talking excitedly as they go down the hill. “That was fun. I don’t know if I would do it again but--it was fun. I was included. It felt nice. It’s nice to have friends.”

Drunk Nico was honest and excited, saying whatever popped into his head. “Yeah, it was fun,” Jason agrees. “Maybe we should slow down, though.”

“Oh, right,” Nico agrees, letting Jason reign him in. “It’s just that--you know, I’ve never gotten to do that. Or had that many friends. It’s different. Not bad, just new.” He worries his bottom lip in his teeth. “It was weird to see you kiss Will.”

“It was weird to kiss him,” Jason supplies. “But it’s fine. It was just a game. It doesn’t mean anything.”

“Yeah,” Nico agrees, but his face falls. He doesn’t meet Jason’s eyes. “Yeah.”

“If it makes you feel better, it was weird to watch you kiss Percy. Not as weird as me and Will, though.”

This makes Nico laugh. “It’s funny. I thought it would be great. But it was just… not. Which is weird. Almost disappointing. But also nice that it was just _nothing_ after all… all that. I spent so much time on Percy, you know.” He starts walking fast again, going ahead of Jason.

“You did. But you have a long time ahead of you,” Jason points out. “And in ten years, he’ll just be a blip on your romantic timeline.” He reaches for Nico’s hand. “Wanna slow down again? Don’t need you throwing up on me.”

“Right, yeah. No puking.” He slows down and laces his fingers with Jason’s, sending shivers down both their spines. “Just a blip. Like Will.”

Jason sighs. “Yeah. Like Will.” A pause. “He’s an aggressive kisser.”

“Yeah. He does that.” Nico snorts. “I like you better.”

Jason’s heart thuds against his ribs. “As--as a kisser?”

“All around, I guess. You were my first friend. You cared. You made an effort. You’re important to me.” He yawns and rubs his tired head into Jason’s arm. Then he continues, as though nothing was said, “I wish I had McDonalds.”

Jason makes sure Nico gets back to his cabin and lays him on his bed, making sure he stays on his side. He gets him a glass of water and ties his hair back so it’s out of his face. “There you go. On your side.” He drapes a skull patterned blanket over his drunk friend. Nico’s eyes drift aimlessly. “You okay?”

“Mhm.” He grabs Jason’s hand. “I had fun tonight.” He nuzzles the hand and Jason’s heart melts. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“Just you.” Nico hums against his hand, perhaps intending a kiss. “Are you leaving?”

Jason smiles. “Do you want me to stay?”

“Just until I’m asleep.” Nico yawns and his eyes slowly fall shut. Jason counts the freckles dotting his nose and cheeks. Admires his long lashes. The curve of his smile as he laces their fingers together. Lastly, the notion that Nico didn't want Jason to kiss anyone _but_   _him_ and that Nico didn't want to kiss anyone  _but Jason_. “Night, Jay.”

Nico wakes up with a killer headache the next day and Jason asleep at the foot of his bed. Their hands are still entwined.


End file.
